Stay : Dromedary trek and glimpse of underwater life

Early morning: before breakfast, sunrise show and flamingo approach

1st stage: approx. 6 hours' walk: from Lac Abbé to Dakha (Bi'Ida region), north-east of Lac Abbé campsite

Lunch on the way

Bivouac in Dakha

Dakha to Alé (Dawwano region): 7-hour walk

Lunch on the way

Bivouac in Alé

From Alé to Kollobita - 7-hour walk

Lunch on the way

Bivouac in Kollobita

From Kollobita to Gaggadé: 7h30 hours' walk

Lunch on the way

Bivouac on the edge of the Gaggadé desert

From Gaggadé to Lake Assal via Wadi Kalou: 8-hour walk

Lunch in Oued Kalou - Arrival on the salt floe in the late afternoon

After unloading the camels and loading the car waiting for us at the entrance to the salt floe, we set off immediately for Ras Ali

On the way back, we visit Lake Assal.

Located 153 metres below sea level, Lake Assal is one of the saltiest lakes in the world (over 300 grams of salt per liter of water). This fact, combined with the high evaporation rate due to the intense heat, explains why salt has been mined here for hundreds of years. No living organism can survive in the waters of Lake Assal. We'll be able to bathe here, as we'll be taking on fresh water for the shower; plastic shoes are necessary to avoid injuring ourselves on the sharp salt crystals.

The very high temperatures here don't make it very hospitable, but its legendary beauty, described by the adventurous writer J. Kessel, makes it a must-see.

4x4 journey from Assal to Ras Ali near Tadjourah

Evening meal at Ras Ali camp

Night at Ras Ali camp

The Ras Ali camp is located after Tadjourah, at the very edge of the sea, at the end of a ten-kilometer track. Sanitary facilities are rudimentary for a European, but very decent and clean. The cuisine is excellent and the site is a paradise for snorkeling. You can also go kayaking.

You'll be amazed by the superb coral reefs and exceptionally varied underwater fauna.

Morning: Snorkeling on the superb Ras Ali drop-off

The camp has kayaks, which you can use to explore a young mangrove swamp.

Lunch at Ras Ali camp

Afternoon: departure for Day camp at 1500 m altitude

Evening meal and overnight at Day camp

The Day camp is equipped with straw huts laid out on a nicely terraced area planted with trees. Sanitary facilities are very satisfactory. From here, you can make excursions into the eponymous primary forest or hike to the other campsites in the Goda Mountains, provided you are a good walker. This camp is also the ideal starting point for visiting the Abourma rock engravings.

Morning: hike from Day camp to Bankoualé camp

Lunch at Bankoualé camp

Afternoon: visit to gardens, Ardo village

Evening meal and overnight at Bankoualé camp

The Bankoualé camp is set in a green hillside setting. It's a charming, pleasantly cool spot, renowned for its mango and papaya gardens.

Rudimentary but effective piping systems from the waterfall ensure the water supply, which is also provided by wells equipped with pumps powered by solar panels. These installations are increasingly destroyed by flooding of the wadi.

Morning: hike from Bankoualé camp to Dittilou camp

Lunch at Dittilou camp

The Dittilou camp is made up of some twenty straw huts built on a terraced area. Set amidst lush greenery at an altitude of over 600 m, the place exudes serenity. Sanitary facilities are clean and functional. A colony of green monkeys provides entertainment.

Afternoon: visit to Lake Assal and the lava field on the way back to Djibouti

Evening meal at a restaurant in Djibouti and overnight at Africorne Travel

Morning: 4X4 drive to Arta beach

Boat trip to meet the whale shark

As soon as the pilot spots it, we jump into the sea to swim for a few moments above it.

From mid-November to the end of January, the chances of swimming with the whale shark are best, but the whale shark remains a wild animal with which it is not possible to make an appointment.

Lunch: on Arta beach in the shade of a straw hut

Afternoon: Fins, mask and snorkel on the drop-off of Arta beach,underwater spectacle guaranteed.

Evening meal at a restaurant in Djibouti

Night at Africorne Travel

This coral island at the entrance to the Gulf of Tadjourah is ideal for relaxation and idleness.

We'll reach it in just 30 minutes by boat.

Lunch will be taken on the island in the shade of a faré tree

Our boat will take us just a few hundred meters from the beach to enjoy the underwater flora and fauna.

Scuba diving available at extra cost.

Africorne Travel can offer you an 8-day trip focusing on diving (4 days), with visits to land-based sites on the other days; our trips are entirely tailor-made, so don't hesitate to contact us to suggest an à la carte itinerary.

Evening meal at a restaurant in Djibouti

Night at Africorne Travel

You'll need a good 4x4 vehicle to get down to Khor Ambado. Not far from Djibouti, the site is ideal for snorkeling (east side). A few straw huts on the seafront provide the shade and food needed for a very pleasant day.

Return to Djibouti in the late afternoon

Evening meal at a restaurant in Djibouti. Yemeni fish menu; the fish you choose is cut into two slices and placed in a circular oven....

Transfer to Djibouti airport